Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तुष्टुवुर्विविधैः स्तोत्रैर्वागीशप्रमुखाः सुराः । गुणत्रयविभागाय पश्चाद्भेदमुपेयुषे

Transliteration

tuṣṭuvurvividhaiḥ stotrairvāgīśapramukhāḥ surāḥ | guṇatrayavibhāgāya paścādbhedamupeyuṣe

Translation

वागीशप्रमुखाः सुरा विविधैः स्तोत्रैस्तं पितामहं तुष्टुवुः। स गुणत्रयविभागार्थं पश्चाद् भेदमुपैति सृष्टौ॥

Word by Word

• तुष्टुवुः: they praised
• तुष्टुवुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्तु (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• विविधैः: with various
• विविधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• स्तोत्रैः: hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचनम्

• वागीशप्रमुखाः: having Vāgīśa as foremost
• वागीशप्रमुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वागीश (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनम्; ‘वागीशः प्रमुखः येषाम्’ इति बहुव्रीह्यर्थे प्रचलितः, रूपतः तत्पुरुष-समासः; विशेषणम्

• सुराः: the gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचनम्

• गुणत्रयविभागाय: for the division of the three guṇas
• गुणत्रयविभागाय: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गुणत्रयस्य विभागः)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• भेदम्: difference; distinction
• भेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचनम्

• उपेयुषे: he/it approached; attained
• उपेयुषे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √इ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd), एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) narrative frame

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King addressed in surrounding passage; audience of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of devas led by Vāgīśa/Bṛhaspati chant layered hymns before Brahmā; subtle visual motifs of three strands/threads suggest the guṇas being ordered.

Characters & Entities

• Vāgīśa (Bṛhaspati)
• Devas
• Brahmā (implied as the praised Pitāmaha)
• Three guṇas (sattva-rajas-tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Stotra (praise) aligns the mind with cosmic order; Brahmā is remembered as the principle that structures creation through the three guṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; it is part of the prelude narrative that supports the tīrtha’s later glorification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied practice of stotra (hymnic praise), though no specific hymn or rite is detailed.